By Vincent Lim
The Edward R. Roybal Institute on Aging at the USC School of Social Work will host the 2012 International Conference on Aging in the Americas (ICAA) Sept. 11-13 on the University Park campus.
This year’s conference will provide an opportunity for scholars involved in the study of Hispanic health and aging to disseminate and discuss current research on a large and growing segment of the U.S. population.
According to U.S. Census data, individuals of Hispanic origin are the nation’s largest ethnic/racial minority, and Hispanics over 65 are the fastest-growing segment of the older adult population in the country. Fittingly, the conference will take place during National Hispanic Heritage Month, which celebrates the contributions that Hispanic-Americans have made to American society and culture.
“The timing of this conference coincides with a growing urgency to develop more effective research and interventions to address the social and health needs of the rapidly expanding population of people over 65 and the transnational nature of aging among people of Mexican origin, who experience aging within family networks in both countries,” said William Vega, executive director of the USC Roybal Institute and co-organizer of the conference.